Manga-ka: Homerun Ken
Publisher: June
Rating: Older Teen (16+)
Release Date: May 2009

Synopsis: “You’ve already met Keiichi Maebara and his mischievous friends in the Abducted by Demons Arc. But Oyashiro-sama’s curse is poised to strike anew in Hinamizawa village. When Keiichi spots tomboy Mion working at a maid café, he can hardly believe his eyes! But it’s not Mion after all — it’s her identical twin sister, Shion. Keiichi’s never heard of this “twin sister” before and suspects it’s just another one of Mion’s pranks. But through Shion, Keiichi is able to see a quieter, more feminine side of his best friend, even if it is all an act. As Keiichi spends more time with Shion, however, Rena grows more accusatory…”

I’m going to start this one out by saying I’m not really a huge fan of yaoi. I don’t mean that I don’t like it; I just don’t have a tendency to actively seek the stuff out. That aside, I couldn’t put Clan of the Nakagamis: The Devil Cometh down. Though I can’t personally say how clichéd the characters might be, I can honestly say that for all I know they struck me as charmingly unique in all the right ways.

In this second volume of the series, the relationship between Haruka Iijima and Tokio Nakagami develops further. Of course, things can’t keep going smoothly forever. With Tokio’s old high school crush showing up for a visit, tension between the teacher/student lovers grows. But what will they do when Hibari Nakagami hatches an unexpected plan? Something hilarious, of course! Not that I’m about to reveal it, since that’d just spoil all the fun of reading it. Although I’ll admit that one of my favourite manga lines of all time is written as a result of this hilarious twist.

When the first story wraps up, a second quite interesting one takes up the slack. Although our main couple is marginally involved, it primarily follows Takamaru in his attempts to first locate a certain mythical mushroom, and then reveal the secrets of a pirate treasure.

Both stories, naturally, are full of cross-dressing, flirting, and all out romantic high jinks. I can honestly say that if you’re looking for a hilarious break from the drama traditionally associated with nearly every romantic genre, then this is definitely the series for you.

Review written July 29, 2009 by Shevaun Morrison
Book provided by Digital Manga for review purposes

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About the Author: Shevaun Morrison

Shev considers herself easily distracted, and usually rather excitable. She doesn't really have a favorite type of anime or manga but will read or watch just about anything. Although she does have a tendency to like things that are extra shiny And/or have a punk/gothic look to it. Shevaun's a role-play nerd, and loves RPG video games too.